Gun mounting



@am L, W42@ R. 13. COUPLAND GUN MOUNTING Filed March 6, L94@ Invermr Riuhurd E. Enuplund Patented Dec. l, 1942 GUN MOUNTING Richard C. Coupllld Nor! United States Anny, clk. Va.

Appiicaunn Maren s, 1940, serai No. 322,532

4 claims. (ci. 8941) (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. '157) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for 'governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to a gun mounting.

The purpose of this invention is to provide a gun mounting in which a recoil and counter-recoil mechanism is associated with a gun which has a ilexible mounting, that is, a mounting in which the gun is mounted solely on trunnions whereby it is free to be manually moved in 'elevation.` Mounts of this character are provided for aircraft and anti-aircraft machine guns which are to be pointed at rapidly moving tarets. g A further object is to provide a mounting which may be readily adapted to an existing machine gun without seriously modifying the existing gun structure or necessitating the provision of a subcradle.

'Ihe -invention is characterized` by a cradle which is trunnioned at its rear end on a support and, has a two-point sliding connection with the gun, and also by the association of the cradle with resilient recoil, counterrecoil and buffer means carried by the gun barrel or the barrel jacket.

The specific nature of the invention as well as other objects and advantages thereof will clearly appear from a description of apreierred embodiment as shown in the accompanying drawing 1n which:

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of the imroved mounting; n p Fig. 2mg an enlarged fragmentary view in side elevation with arts in section;

Fig. 3 is a slection'al view on the line 3-3 of F1teferring to the drawing by characters of reference the gun mount comprises a yoke A, a cradle B mounted in the yoke at its rear ends by means of trunnion pins G-C and a gun D carried by the cradle.

The cradle comprises a pair of spaced parallel side plates -5-5 connected by longitudinally spaced bottom plates or bars 6 6. The front extremities of the side plates are connected to a ring 1 which is adapted to encircle the barrelof the gun. The side plates are provided with aligned slots 8-8 for slidably receiving the ends of a bolt 9 which passes through an opening in the trunnion block I0 of the gun.

The trumion block I0 forming part of the receiver frame of the gun, is of standard construcdrical part II which is spaced from barrel I2 which in the case of a Browning gun is movable relative to the receiver frame. The part II is threaded botli externally and internally to respectively attach a trunnion adapter I3 and a bearing I4 for the breech end of the barrel. A locking pin I5 threaded in the part II engages the bearing Il and in the standard gun it also engages the barrel jacket I6 which is a relatively thin member extending to the muzzle of the barrel and spaced therefrom by a iront bearing I1.

In modifying a standard gun to receive the mounting of this invention the rear portion of the barrel jacket isgcut off at I8 and replaced by a Short relatively heavy jacket I9 which is integral with the bearing I4 and includes a ange 20 for engaging the iront face of the part II. The front extremity of the rear jacket IS is externally threaded to receive a coupling collar 2I which bears on the rear portion of the front jacket IB and is connected thereto in any convenient manner, for example by welding indicated at 22. The collar 2I is locked to the jacket I9 by means of a set screw 23 and plug 24, which engages the threads on the jacket.

The ring 'I of the cradle slidably enclrcles the jacket I9 and its front and rear faces comprise seats for adjacent ends of a pair of springs 25 and 26 which also encircle the jacket. The front end of the front spring 25 seats against a Washer 2l supported by the collar 2I while the rear end of the rear spring 26 seats against a washer 28 supported by the ange 20 and the trunnion adapter I3. Adjustment of the springs may be eiected by advancing or retracting the coupling collar 2| which is xed to the jacket I6.

The ring I and bolt 9 provide a two-part connection between the gun D and cradle B so that these parts maintain their relationship when the gun is moved vertically by rotating it about the trunnion pins C-C. When 'the gun is red it moves rearwardly relative to the cradle, compressing the front spring 25 and enabling the rear spring 26 to be extended. The return stroke of the gun under inuence of the front spring 25 is checked by the rear spring 26, a slight overtravel being permitted.

While the invention has been illustrated in connection with a gun having a movable barrel it is to be understood that it may equally well be applied to a gun with a xed barrel.

I claim:

1. In a gun mounting, a gun including a receiver frame and a movable barrel, a rear bartion and includes a forwardly projecting cylinrel Jacket connected to the frame, a front barrel jacket separate from the rear jacket, a coupling member on the front jacket and threadedly connectedto the rear jacket, a cradle having a ring encircling the rear jacket, a front spring between the ring and the coupling member, a rear spring between the ring and the receiver frame, said cradle having aligned slots in opposite sides, a bolt in the receiver frame of the gun inserted through the aligned slots and having longitudinal sliding movement therein, and' means for pivotally mounting the cradle in rear of its connections with the gun.

2. In a gun mounting, a gun including areceiver frame and a movable barrel, a rear barrel jacket connected to the frame, a front barrel jacket separate from the rear jacket, a coupling member on the front jacket and threadedly connected to the rear jacket, a cradle having a spring seat engaging the rear jacket, a front spring between the seat andthe coupling member, a rear spring between the seat and the receiver frame, means for slidably coupling the gun to the cradle in rear of the spring seat, and means for pivotally mounting the cradle at its rear end.

3. In a gun mounting, a gun including a receiver frame and a movable barrel, a rear barrel jacket connected to the frame, a iront barrel jacket separate from the rear jacket, a coupling member on the front jacket and threadedly conccted to the rear jacket, a cradle having a spring seat engaging the rear jacket, a front spring between the seat andthe coupling member, a rear spring between the seat and the receiver frame, means for slidably coupling the gun to the cradle in rear of the spring seat.

4. A gun comprising a gun frame and a gun barrel unit mounted therein, a cradle, means on the cradle receiving the gun barrel unit for reciprocation thereof, with respect to said cradle, means on the cradle rearward of the first-mentioned means, receiving a portion of the gun frame for reciprocation thereof with respect t0 said cradle, spring means on opposite sides of said first-mentioned receiving means located for operation in the axial direction of the gun barrel unit, means on the gun fixing the outer ends of the springs with respect to the gun land means for pivotally mounting the cradle rearward of both of said receiving means.

` RICHARD C. COUPLAND. 

